For the first time in the history of humping whales, a photographer has captured an act of copulation between two humpback whales.

Photographer Jason Edwards, who spotted the two humpbacks during a "heat run" off the coast of Tonga more than two years ago, described the 30-second moment as "brief but tender":

Mr Edwards said the female allowed the male to grapple her on a slight angle, sliding in from behind until his belly touched. Placing a pectoral fin over her flank, he stroked her gently during the act. After the pair broke apart, the female released a burst of bubbles from her mouth, rather than through the spout.

[...]

The tender mating act is in stark contrast to recent discoveries that other marine mammals like bottlenose dolphins are capable of rape.

How nice for humpback whales.

We would love to show this historic photo to you, but alas we do not have permission to use it, so here is an artist's rendering from MS Paint virtuoso Tommy Craggs. You can go see the real photo over at the Daily Telegraph.